FASTER THAN MOST EXOTIC SUPER-CARS.
Oct. 28, 2015: Model S P90D Does 0-60 In 2.6 Seconds!
– tested by Motor Trend
As noted in the coverage, amongst all of the many, many vehicles tested by Motor Trend, only two can beat the P90D outright at 0–60 miles per hour — the Porsche 918 Spyder ($845,000 starting price when it was being produced) and Ferrari LaFerrari (~$2 million).
One final note: as tested by Motor Trend, the P90D very reliably does a quarter-mile in just 10.9 seconds. That’s quite an advertising statement on its own, isn’t it? Here’s a final quote:
July 17, 2015
New Tesla Model S P90D Goes 0-60 MPH in 2.8 Seconds !
Tesla Loses Its Freaking Mind, Introduces 762-hp Model S, Ludicrous Mode, New Base Model
by Alexander Stoklosa
[Tesla] is updating its 691-hp, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive electric supersedan with an extra 71 horsepower and a new “Ludicrous” drive mode,
90-kWh Battery Option:
Today, if you want the most driving range in Tesla’s lineup, you must opt for the Model S 85, whose 85-kWh battery brings an EPA-rated 265 miles of ultimate driving range. According to Tesla’s consumer site, the new, non-Performance-package-equipped 90D—an 85D with a $3000 90-kWh battery upgrade—is good for 270 EPA-certified miles of range and 417 horsepower. The company further claims that, in the real world at a steady 65 mph, a 90D could do 300 miles. Impressive. Existing P85D owners aren’t left in the cold, either, as they can retrofit their ride with the new battery for the same price, although Tesla CEO Elon Musk says they may not want to do so unless their usage is already at the ragged edge of the car’s original range—better to wait, he says, until they introduce an even more powerful battery to get more bang for their buck. If they decide to upgrade anyway, however, they’ll get 253 miles of range and a mind-bending total of 762 horsepower.
Ludicrous Mode:
Supplementing the already wildly named “Insane” drive mode available in today’s P85D—as in our long-term Model S P85D test car—is a new, even quicker acceleration mode dubbed “Ludicrous Mode.” Besides the core awesomeness of culling drive-mode names from the movie Spaceballs, Tesla’s graduation to Ludicrous comes by way of a new battery fuse. The fuse on the P85D’s battery pack melts when a high level of amperage is run through it, creating a performance bottleneck wherein 60 mph is attained in a “mere” 3.1 seconds, according to Tesla. (It should be noted that we’ve been unable to match Tesla’s claim, with our quickest zero-to-60-mph time for the P85D landing at 3.3 seconds.) Eager for more acceleration, Tesla designed a new fuse with “its own electronics and a tiny lithium-ion battery” that can handle 1500 amps versus the 1300 of the old fuse. According to Tesla, this drops the zero-to-60-mph time of the P90D to just 2.8 seconds; the quarter-mile time breaks the 11-second mark at 10.9 seconds. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to trying to verify those times.
also: “The cell chemistry for the upgraded 90-kWh pack includes a new anode that adds silicon to the graphite, permitting the increase in performance.” from www.greencarreports.com/news/1099178_breaking-tesla-model-s-gets-new-90-kwh-battery-ludicrous-performance-mode
… “Musk said the company is in the process of finishing the safety validation for the new larger battery to be retrofitted into the company’s Roadster sports cars. The first deliveries of that pack will probably be ready for field deliveries late next month, Musk said.
Ludicrous mode won’t come cheap, with the potential unlocked by a $10,000 option on new Performance package–equipped P90D models. Current P85D owners can have their cars upgraded to Ludicrous spec in the next six months for just $5000 plus labor at a Tesla service center, but going forward, the system will be available only as a factory option on new P90Ds. As such, a brand-new ultimate-accelerating P90D will cost $119,200 before federal and state tax incentives—let alone other options—are factored in. That number includes $106,200 for the P85D, another $3000 for the 90-kWh battery, and $10,000 more for Ludicrous mode.
Model X and Model 3 Still on Track: The long-delayed Model X crossover is finally going to be a thing, according to Tesla. Deliveries of that model are promised to begin in the next two months. As for the smaller, more affordable Model 3 originally promised for 2017, Tesla reconfirmed it will go on sale in two years as, we assume, a 2018 model.
The Tesla Roadster will be offered the upgrade
… “Musk said the company is in the process of finishing the safety validation for the new larger battery to be retrofitted into the company’s Roadster sports cars. The first deliveries of that pack will probably be ready for field deliveries late next month, Musk said.
from www.greencarreports.com/news/1099178_breaking-tesla-model-s-gets-new-90-kwh-battery-ludicrous-performance-mode
A New Tesla Roadster Sports Car
Maximum Plaid Mode: Piling on the ludicrousity of the Ludicrous mode announcement, Tesla also promises that the next-generation Roadster model, due in four years, will get a Maximum Plaid drive mode. Yes, that’s more Spaceballs goodness, and yes, we can’t wait to declare “we’re going plaid!,” strap on our helmets, and mess with that hyperdrive.
from blog.caranddriver.com/tesla-loses-its-freaking-mind-introduces-762-hp-model-s-ludicrous-mode-new-base-model/
ALEX DAVIES GEAR DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07-17-15 3:29 PM
TESLA’S NEW ‘LUDICROUS MODE’ MAKES THE MODEL S A SUPERCAR
Current P85D owners can make the upgrade at their local Tesla service center. To get the bigger battery pack and extra range, it’s $3,000. For the new electronics that enable “ludicrous mode,” it’s $5,000 plus labor. On the new P90D, the option will cost $10,000.
Elon Musk says that it’s not recommended for current 85 owners to upgrade to the larger capacity yet, as the company plans to increase capacity by another 5 percent next year.
from www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1507-new-tesla-model-s-p90d-ludicrous-speed-goes-0-60-mph-in-2-8-seconds/
… we haven’t heard much about Tesla’s long-awaited second generation car, the Model X SUV.
Musk says the SUV is still its way—the current estimate has deliveries starting in two months—and that the improvements made to the S are good for the new car. The dual motor system introduced last October is an integral part of the powertrain for the SUV, which will offer all-wheel drive.
Tesla developed the 90 kWh pack because it will be important for the X, Musk says. The SUV will be about 10 percent heavier than the sedan, and its energy usage will climb at the same rate. So a bigger battery pack “means the net range impact is maybe only around four or five percent.”
And while the new fuse isn’t key to the development of the SUV, Tesla will offer “ludicrous mode” on the X. Accounting for the increased curb weight and higher center of gravity, the 0 to 60 mph time will be about 3.3 seconds. Which, as Musk rightly says, is “mad for an SUV.”
Oh, and autopilot’s on its way.
from www.wired.com/2015/07/teslas-new-ludicrous-mode-makes-model-s-supercar/
a few production exotics that can beat the New Tesla Model S P90D to 60 mph
2014 Porsche 918 Spyder 0-60 mph 2.3 sec’s
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse: 2.4 sec’s
2011 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento: 2.4 sec’s
Ferrari LaFerrari: 2.5 sec’s